Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imprint method, an imprint apparatus, a program, and an article manufacturing method.
Description of the Related Art
Miniaturization of devices such as semiconductor devices and magnetic storage media is being progressively demanded and imprint technologies for forming a fine pattern by bringing a mold in contact with an imprint material on a substrate are being focused on. As an exemplary imprint technology, there is a photocuring method in which a photocurable resin is used as an imprint material. In an imprint device using such a photocuring method, first, an imprint material is supplied to an area on a substrate. Next, the imprint material on the substrate is molded with use of a mold. Then, the imprint material molded with use of the mold is cured by emitting light and is then demolded to form a pattern on the substrate.
A method of manufacturing a device described above may include etching a substrate on which a pattern is formed. In this case, when a thickness of a concave portion (a residual layer) of the pattern formed on the substrate is not uniform across the entire surface of the substrate, a shape (for example, a line width) of a pattern obtained by removing the residual layer may be nonuniform. In imprint methods of Published Japanese Translation of PCT application No. 2008-502157 and Patent No. 4908369, an amount of imprint material necessary for obtaining an uniform residual layer thickness is calculated.
However, since the method in the patent literature does not consider a difference of filling (spreading) of an imprint material into a mold according to a shape of a pattern formed on the mold, the method is not favorable in consideration of, for example, uniformity of a residual layer thickness.